Missing Scrap
"Missing Scrap" is the 19th episode of the tenth season. Story SODOR IRONWORKS: MORNING There is a three berth shed; three tracks run through it, and there is no wall at the back. There is a steel roof that spans the entire length of the shed itself. ‘ARRY is on DIESEL 10’S right-hand (viewer’s left-hand) side, and BERT is on DIESEL 10’S left-hand (viewer’s right-hand) side. The Ironworks Manager, MR. DERL, stands before them. MR. DERL: (in a business-like tone) Sir Topham Hatt, known to you lot as the Fat Controller, has struck a deal with the Mainland Steelworks. We are to share the space at Crock’s Scrapyard with them. They’ll be helping us remove the scrap. BERT: (misunderstanding MR. DERL, and is cross and confused) But they’ll be taking away our business! MR. DERL: (serious) It may seem that way, but we have to increase the output of our steel products, and having another steelworks help us allows us to make quicker deliveries, waste less time loading many flatbeds, and in turn we can produce steel products faster. DIESEL 10” (sensing a flaw) That means we’ll have more money compared to that horrid- MR. DERL gives him a stern look, in which DIESEL 10 stops himself and grins in a way to apologize. MR. DERL: (in a firm, orderly fashion) Right; get out there and work hard! The trio leave for work, knowing their duties. CROCK’S SCRAPYARD: MID-MORNING: Heaps of rusty machinery, rails, iron girders, bicycles, and many other things lay about. There are sidings in which signs are posted; one reads NWR ONLY and another STEELWORKS ONLY. REG is busy loading scrap as ‘ARRY, BERT, and DIESEL 10 arrive. DIESEL 10: (bossy) I’ll load the flatbeds, and you’ll take them away. BERT” (not liking the idea) Why don’t you take flatbeds too? DIESEL 10: (angrily) Because we need to take as much scrap as possible; having Reg do everything for both companies will waste time! BERT: (cowardly) Yes Diesel 10. ‘ARRY and BERT back down onto already loaded flatbeds. The trains consist of fifteen flatbeds each. ‘ARRY: (whispering to Bert) What a silly thing to do; question Diesel’s authority! BERT: (defensively hissing his reply) He can’t have it his way all the time! ‘ARRY: (sighes in agreement) I understand mate, but Diesel’s someone you don’t want to mess with. You can only imagine what terrible things he can do with that claw of his. BERT: (humorously) As long as it obeys his orders! The two diesels vanish into the distance; DIESEL 10 begins the task of shunting a line of thirty empty flatbeds onto a line. Then he moves slowly away to a set of points. A shunter changes the points to let DIESEL 10 go onto the other line, closest to the scrap heaps. He begins to grab at random from the pile, which is filled with old iron girders and rails. Eventually he hears a horn he can’t recognize. FRANKIE comes into view. FRANKIE: (honking cheerfully; pleased to have a job that isn’t at the Steelworks) Hello there! You look like an incredible experiment. DIESEL 10: (offended) An experiment?! What rubbish! I suppose you’re from that steelworks on the Mainland? FRANKIE: (clearing her throat to show her pride) Our steelworks is probably bigger than ours; we can also make deliveries with our slag. DIESEL 10: (already cross; angrily drops a tractor onto the second flatbed. He had loaded the first flatbed while meeting Frankie) Our Ironworks provides slag too! FRANKIE: (sensing trouble, smiles; has a sweet tone) Are these flatbeds for me? DIESEL 10: (coldly) These flatbeds are for my engine helpers; you can fetch your own. FRANKIE trundles angrily over to REG, who is in the middle of loading a line of fifteen flatbeds for her. REG: (kindly) Only three more to go! At last the job is completed for REG; FRANKIE is coupled up and is slowly leaving the scrapyard as ‘ARRY and BERT come into view again. ‘ARRY: (rudely boasting) We’re much faster 0-6-0 diesel shunters compared to you! FRANKIE lets out smoke from her exhust pipe in hopes of covering their faces; but is no good. MAINLAND STEELWORKS: EVENING: FRANKIE rolls into the STEELWORKS with her line of fifteen flat trucks loaded with scrap. HURRICANE is resting in the shed and watches her arrive. HURRICANE: (smpathy) I guess Sodor isn’t a nice place after all? FRANKIE (crossly) There’s rude diesels on that railway! I’d like to prove to them that we are better than they are. HURRICANE: (evilly) Right; we’ll show them. Leave it to me. CROCK’S SCRAPYARD: NIGHTTIME: HURRICANE arrives and finds loaded flat trucks of scrap in the NWR’s sidings. HURRICANE makes an evil grin as he’s coupled up to a line of fifteen flat trucks. He collects more until the sidings are empty, and then leaves. REG: (sleepily) Diesel 10, is that you? You know that our yard doesn’t work into the night like the Ironworks> CROCK’S SCRAPYARD: MORNING: DIESEL 10 arrives and finds all the flat trucks he loaded last night to be gone. DIESEL 10: REG? Where are our flat trucks? REG: (confused) What do...oh, yes, someone came in the night and must have stolen them. DIESEL 10 (coldly) Do you know who the engine was? REG: (moving towards DIESEL 10, looking glum) The engine, was, Hurricane. He thought I was asleep, when he actually woke me up. Silly engine. DIESEL 10: Thanks Reg. DIESEL 10 leaves, and REG watches him pick up speed. ‘ARRY AND BERT are passing by. ‘ARRY: Diesel, wh- DIESEL 10: Don’t ask me where I’m going! I’m taking care of business! BERT: More like causing trouble. STEELWORKS: AFTERNOON: FRANKIE is at work shunting in the yard as DIESEL 10 rolls in. DIESEL 10: You stole our scrap! FRANKIE: (pretending to be confused) What scrap? N- DIESEL 10 (angrily) No one lies to Diesel 10! For th- MR. DERL arrives on the scene. MR. DERL: Diesel 10, what are you doing here? Characters * Sodor Ironworks Manager (Mr. Derl) * Hurricane * Diesel 10 * Reg * 'Arry and Bert * Frankie * Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned) Trivia * This story picks up from "Where's Theo?!" Category:Loco123456's Episodes Category:Season 10 Episodes Category:Season 10 Category:Episodes Category:Stories From Sodor Category:Completed Episodes